Heartbreak for Chinzi!

Last week Wednesday, the 17th of September, roundabout 3pm... Chinzi had a very unfortunate accident. She cut her back paw open while playing with Levi. It was a freak accident, her foot suspectedly slipped in underneath the security gate and onto a wire sticking out a vibacrete block.

Bleeding profusely, she was rushed to the vet immediately, where the bad news greeted us that two of her tendons were completely severed, and a third cut 20%. She was immediately operated on, trying to save the tendons by stitching them immediately. She now has to be kept still for the next 6 weeks, which is an extremely difficult task. What breaks my heart is that she obviously cannot understand why she cannot run around and play as normal, so she cries and cries and cries. She has to take calming medicine for the first few days, just to aid in the acceptance of the splint on the foot and the keeping still.

She will probably be out of competition for at least 4 to 6 months. The collagen fibres that forms in between the severed tendon ends only allign themselves properly at 4 months post-operative, in which case actually only THEN exercise and movement can begin. It's going to be a very difficult task at the 4 week mark when her splint comes off to continue to keep her still, but we will be doing our very very best in order to ensure best chances at recovery. Once she is able to start slight movement, she will be going for hydrotherapy as well.

Although tendons can never heal 100% as they cannot grow back, we are hoping and praying for a miraculous recovery which will not affect her agility career, but at this time, we have no idea how this will affect her future, only time will tell.

A long road of recovery lies ahead...